Being a total Classical numpty I still feel rather self concious posting in here

Anyway, someone gave me a CD recently and suggested I gave it a listen which I did this morning'

It was Bruckner Symphony No4 which I enjoyed very much, but when I went looking for a copy of the cover to post on the 'What are you listening to now?' thread I couldn't find it or indeed any version conducted by Rafael Kubelik.

It is a CBS recording, have I got some unknown budget version? and should I look for a better copy? which conductor?

Actually I rather enjoyed this work and maybe should get something else, any other Bruckner suggestions?

If you want to get into Bruckner & have any musical technical knowledge try & get hold of Robert Simpson's book on the major orchestral works & masses. It's a very deep analysis which walks you through each symphony & will greatly increase your admiration of how complex classical symphonies really are.

The "best" Bruckner 4? I think the Munich Celibidache or the Klemperer. The Celibidache takes a good 15 minutes longer but these are opposite poles & lays a question as to whether Klemperer was always a slow conductor. I'd add the live Furtwangler but it uses a corrupt edition.

The only original CBS version I can recall is the Bruno Walter/ Columbia Symphony - used to be coupled with a very highly regarded 9th, so you could have a good version anyway, but would second the Bohm, a true classic in excellent sound.

Yup, that Kubelik 4th is a fine one. That will do you nicely for the 4th ... for now.

I agree that the next step is the 7th. TBH, I'd very strongly recommend Tintner conducting on the Naxos label (and that's a bargain label, too - Â£5.99 new in the shops). Or HERE used from Amazon Market Place for Â£3.96 UK delivered.

You are entering a very wonderful world, Tel. It's possible to get quite obsessive about different recordings of the same Bruckner work - I have about 40 different recordings of the 7th symphony, for example.

Naxos is doing for classical music what none of the multinationals are doing. The premiere recordings of the Maxwell-Davies quartets by their premiere performers? A full Alwyn cycle? Rare Charles Ives? Imagine any of that on EMI as they currently exist. Naxos performances are usually at least serviceable. I must have 200 or more in my own collection.

MFP & CFP were usually sourced from older full price EMI or in some cases specially recorded. Very few were of poor quality & some- the Kempe Scheherazade & the MacKerras Mozart symphonies- amongst the very best.

Don't knock them because they're cheap!

The Simpson book is accessible to anyone with a basic ability to read music & the ability to realise the key has changed. All lovers of Bruckner should have it & all Nielsen lovers his volume on that composer.